Fourteen institutions announced plans to enter Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) in the first half of 2026, its chairman said, but their more than $5 trillion in global assets does not reflect capital committed locally.
ADGM Chairman Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi gave the figure at the Abu Dhabi Investment Forum in London on Oct. 15. In the speech, he did not identify the 14 institutions, give opening dates or say how much they would manage or invest from Abu Dhabi.
ADGM had reported an earlier set of plans on May 13. It said eight institutions whose worldwide assets totaled $4.4 trillion had disclosed plans to set up in the hub during the previous month. ADGM did not specify which of those firms were included in Al Zaabi’s later tally.
The hub’s Sept. 8 results describe a separate measure: asset managers that established operations there in the first half of 2026 oversaw more than $2.1 trillion worldwide. That figure concerns firms that had begun operating, while Al Zaabi’s larger tally concerns announced plans. Neither global asset figure states how much is managed in Abu Dhabi.
For assets under management within ADGM, the hub reported a 54% increase in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier. The number of fund and asset managers rose to 190 from 154, and active licenses reached 13,974, including 1,814 issued during the half. EconoTimes previously covered ADGM’s asset-manager growth.
Al Zaabi presented ADGM’s use of English Common Law, its independent courts and faster business processes as reasons firms may consider Abu Dhabi. He said Abu Dhabi measured progress partly by “how much opportunity that capital creates,” describing businesses, industries and people as potential beneficiaries.
